Vehicle waxing/buffing appliance with removeable/repositioning handle

ABSTRACT

A Vehicle Waxing/Buffing Appliance capable of having a removable/repositionable secondary handle comprises a vehicle buffing/waxing appliance and a handle. At least one adaptor to receive and hold the handle is installed in the outer plastic molded housing. Therefore the user may install or reposition the handle as desired to help in both the efficiency of the operation and the comfort of the user.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle Waxing/Buffingappliance with a removeable, repositioning handle, which consists of awaxing/buffing appliance (hereon referred to as “appliance”) and ahandle. At least one attaching handle adaptor is built into the OuterHousing of the appliance to allow the independent handle to be attachedto same. Therefore the user of the appliance may install the handle asneeded to help in holding the appliance more easily and with bettercontrol during the waxing/buffing operation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 the prior art appliance is shown to beeasily held. The upper portion thereof is formed with an outer housing10. The Interior of this housing contains the electric motor. At thebottom of the outer housing is the circular sponge waxing disk 20. Inoperation of the appliance, the motor drives the Disk in a rotary (ororbital) fashion. In general the waxing/buffing appliances in prior arthave a peripheral handle 101 (refer to FIG. 1) that goes all the wayaround the housing, or two seperate handles 102 that protrude from eachside and are built into the housing (refer to FIG. 2). Thereby the usermay hold the appliance anywhere on its periphery (FIG. 1) or at each endof the separate handles (FIG. 2). With either handle being attached tothe main housing the user may apply a force downwards during theoperation of the appliance.

[0003] This prior art has a fixed structure of the handle (s) being anintegral part of the housing therefore the orientation of the applianceor the holding position cannot be changed as desired, i.e. thewaxing/buffing cannot be positioned according to the habit or comfort ofthe user, especially as when the appliance pad is rotating the housingwill try to rotate at same time. The peripheral handle has no mechanismfor preventing the rotating of the housing. That is the holding force toprevent the housing from rotating is not provided so the hand will tendto slide around the housing. Furthermore the handles of the prior artare an integral part of the housing in a fixed position so they cannotbe moved, or detached. This also means the handle can create theinconvenient and costly need for a larger packing box for transportaionand storage due to its protruding design.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] Accordingly, the prime object of the present invention is toprovide a vehicle waxing/buffing appliance which is capable of having aremovable/repositionable handle and comprises the said appliance and thehandle. The housing of the appliance has at least one built in adaptorto allow the said handle to be attached as desired to allow the user tohold the appliance more easily. As a result the operation of theappliance is more convenient. The handle can easily be detached fortransportation or storage thus the volume occupied and the packagingmaterial is reduced. The user is able to hold the fixed handle and thedetachable handle to apply a downward force during the operation thusthe housing is easily prevented from its trying to rotate due to thereaction force and the whole waxing/buffing operation is moreefficiently accomplished.

[0005] Another object of the present invention is to provide a vehiclewaxing/buffing appliance being able to have a removeable/repositionablehandle positioned into a nut which is molded or inserted into the outerhousing, and the handle is thus screwed into this nut. One end of thehandle is formed with a male thread. The handle is thus installed intothe housing as desired so as to allow more comfort and efficiency in theoperation.

[0006] Another object of the present invention is to provide theappliance capable of having the handle installed wherein the has malethreads at each end. One thread end has a right angle thread and theother end has a left hand thread. The handle also has a cylindrical pushon cover which covers the thread not in use. This left and right handthread allows the handle to be inserted into adaptors bult into eachside of the housing and with the forces of the roating appliance thethread will tend to self tighten in the adaptor and not vibrate out.

[0007] Another object of the present invention is to provide awaxing/buffing appliance capable of having a removeable/repositionablehandle, wherein the receiving adaptors in the housing have a rectangularshape outer construction with an inner rectangular hole. Two of theopposite walls of the inner rectangular hole have built in concaveholes. The front end of the handle also has a matching rectangular shapewith a cross sectional hole, the axis of which matches the axis of theholes in the housing adaptor. In this handle hole are two steel ballbearings sitting on a compression spring. As a result the balls areunder an outward pressure and slightly exposed, and when pressure isapplied to the balls they retract slightly into the handle hole. So theuser is able to quickly attach/detach the handle to the housing bypushing/pulling the handle to allow the balls to pressure/depressurethemselves into/out of the concave holes of the housing.

[0008] The various objects and advantages of the present invention willbe more easily understood from the following detailed description whenread in conjunction with the appended drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009]FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a prior waxing/buffing appliance.

[0010]FIG. 2 is another schematic view of a prior waxing/buffingappliance.

[0011]FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the waxing/buffingappliance and removeable and replaceable handle.

[0012]FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the waxing/buffingappliance, Housing Adaptor and handle of the present invention.

[0013]FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the adaptors at various positionsaround the housing according to the present invention.

[0014]FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the waxing/buffing appliance capableof having a removable/repositionable handle as per the scope of thepresent invention.

[0015]FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the appliance with the handleinstalled as per the scope of the present invention.

[0016]FIG. 8 is a partial schematic view of another embodiment of thepresent invention.

[0017]FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of another embodiment ofthe present invention.

[0018]FIG. 10 is a schematic view of another embodiment of the housingadaptor and the handle of the present invention.

[0019]FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of a further embodiment ofthe handle of the present invention.

[0020]FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of the washer of thepresent invention.

[0021]FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of an embodiment utilisinga snap in cover on a non used insertion adaptor of the presentinvention.

[0022]FIG. 14 is a perspective view of another embodiment of theappliance of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4 the appliance, capable of having aremoveable repositionable Handle installed, is illustrated. The presentinvention includes a wavxing/buffing appliance 1 and a handle 2.

[0024] The appliance 1 is a portable appliance for waxing/buffing thesurface of a vehicle. The appliance has an outer molded plastic housing11. The housing has an prior art internal electrical motor, an outerpower switch etc. A rotateable sponge waxing disk is installed on theextended spindle of the motor protruding from base of housing 11. Therear side of the housing has a built in vertical holding handle. Aroundthe periphery of the housing at the left side, right side and otherradial positions are adaptors (at least one) molded in (see FIG. 5).These adaptors can consist of a nutl4 with an outer contour which bybeing molded in prevent the nut from rotating. The inner thread of thisnut is used to locate and hold the handle in required position.

[0025] The handle 2 is a diametrical shape and the front end has aconcentric male thread 21 attached. The body of the handle can beinstalled with a sponge cover 23 for more comfort.

[0026] By the combination of the rear vertical handle 13 and theinserted adaptors at the left side of and integral with the housing 11and the handle screwed into the aforesaid adaptor, a suitable setup forthe user to apply force is accomplished. Therefore the left side of theappliance has a built in horizontal side handle. In waxing/buffing theuser may hold the side handle 2 and the vertical rear handle 13 andapply a downward pressure so as to facilitate the waxing and buffing ofthe vehicle. Therefore by the resisting force of the horizontal handle 2and the rear vertical handle 13 the housing is held positively to stopthe reactionary tendency to rotate. This prevents the hand from slidingaround the peripheral handle of the prior art. The handle 2 of thispresent invention can be installed in the adaptor 14 at the right sideof the appliance so that a horizontal handle is formed at the right sideof the appliance 1 (FIGS. 6 and 7) so as to better suit the comfort anddexterity of the user. So again by the combination of the right handhorizontal handle and the rear vertical handle, the best user comfortand efficiency is attained.

[0027] Moreover by the adaptors 14 being positioned at various selectedpositions around the periphery of the housing 11 the handle can easilybe attached at various positions depending on the users own need andcomfort. Again by utilizing this handle 11 in required position, inconjunction with rear vertical handle an efficient use of the applainceis obtained. Furthermore each of the right hand and left hand adaptorscan be utilised with a handle inserted at both positions simultaneouslyto allow another possible comfortable setup for the user by using bothhorizontal handles at same time. Both horizontal handles can be detachedfor transportation or storage of the appliance, thus saving the volumeof space and the packaging materials needed.

[0028] Furthermore with the adaptors built into both sides of thehousing, the handle 2 can be replaced with a handle 2′ which has malethreads at both ends 21′ and 22′ (FIGS. 9 and 10). The adaptors on thehousing can have a left hand thread at the left side and a right handthread at the right side. The handle has a right hand thread at oneextreme and a left hand thread at the other.

[0029] The handle also comes with a push on cover 24′ over eitherthread. Therefore depending on the dexterity and comfort of the user,the handle can be installed at either the left or right side of thehousing and the exposed thread that is left after installation iscovered by the cover 24′. This left or right installation is improved bythe left or right hand threads on the handle being in a continuoustightening mode during the operation of the appliance. As a result ofthis, a more comfortable and efficient operation is attained whetheruser is naturally right handed or left handed.

[0030] Morover, in the present invention the adaptors that are embeddedin the outer housing, (see FIGS. 10 and 11) at each side may consist ofa rectangular shaped construction 15 with an inner rectangular hole 151on the centreline. Two of the opposite walls of the inner rectangularHole, each have a built in concave hole 152. The front end of the handle2A has a matching rectangular protrusion shape 21A with a crosssectional hole 211A. Then two steel balls 212A are fitted within thishole sitting on a compression spring 213A. The outer edges of the hole211A are staked so that the balls 212A are retained in the hole 211Aunder outward pressure from the compression spring 213A, and yet thesteel balls protrude slightly from handle 2A. As the front handlesection 21A is inserted into the rectangular hole 151 of the adaptor 15then the two balls ride back into the hole compressing the spring. Uponthe balls reaching the concave holes 152 the compression spring forcesthe ball into the same concave hole thus locking it in position, and yetwith an outer pull on the handle the balls again retreat allowing thehandle to be disconnected easily and quickly.

[0031] Moreover, in the present invention, the horizontal removeable andrepositioning handle 2 is screwed into the housing 1 of the appliance,on the left or right side. However a spring washer 3 and a plasticwasher 4 can be installed on the threaded rod to help lock the handle inplace so it doesn't start to come loose during operation. Referring toFigl3, in the housing of the present invention a recess 16 can be formedat the outer periphery of the section where the adaptor is located toallow the use of a sealing piece 5 to be installed in the recess on theside of the housing where the handle is not being installed. This notonly protects the threads not being used but give a more pleasingappearance to the product.

[0032] It should be understood that in the present invention, a verticalrear handle 13 is combined with one or more side horizontal handles and,the outer look of the housing can vary from the shape shown. For examplea different shape housing 11 is shown in FIG. 14 while still using thevertical handle at the back and the one or more horizontal handlesmounted on the outer sides.

[0033] The present invention is thus described and it will be obviousthat the same may be varied in many other ways. Such variations are notto be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of this presentinvention claimed and all such modifications as would be obvious to oneskilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of thefollowing claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A vehicle Waxing and Buffing appliance beingcapable of having horizontal handle(s) Installed, and comprises a Waxingand Buffing appliance and one or more handles: the appliance is aportable appliance used to apply wax and buff the surface of a vehicle:the appliance is built with an outer molded plastic Housing: within thishousing is an electric motor and other devices: by the rotation of themotor under power, a waxing disk attached to an extension on the driveshaft of the motor also rotates: this in turn tries to rotate the wholeupper housing: the handle being a cylindrical rod; characterized inthat: the rear side of the hoaing has a integral vertical handle forholding: on the outside of the housing an adaptor is built in on bothsides: the front end of a handle(s) can be inserted into this adaptor soas to make the housing tendency to rotate easy to control and make theapplication easier.
 2. The vehicle waxing and buffing appliance iscapable of having a horizontal handle(s),which is removeable andrepositionable, installed as claimed in claim 1, wherein the adaptorthat is inserted in the housing is a non rotating nut: the threaded holebeing used for the installation and holding of the handle.
 3. Theappliance is capable of having a handle installed as claimed in claim 2,wherein the nut has an outer periphery shaped that although inserted inthe outer housing does not let the nut to rotate.
 4. The appliancecapable of having a handle installed as claimed in claim 2, wherein afront end of the handle has a protruding threaded section to allow forscrewing of the handle into the adaptor nut inserted into the mainhousing.
 5. The same appliance capable of having a handle installed asclaimed in claim 2, wherein both ends of the handle have a protrudingthreaded section, one end with right hand thread and the other with aleft hand thread. Thereby the left hand thread or the right hand threadis selected to be inserted into the matching thread of the adaptor atthe left or right side of the housing.
 6. The appliance capable ofhaving a handle installed as claimed in claim 1, wherein the retainer tohold the handle in is a rectangular block inserted into the housing;each rectangular block has a rectangular hole. Two opposite side wallsof the rectangular hole are formed with a concave hole: the front end ofthe handle(s) to be used, has a matching protruding rectangular shape;within this shape is a hole . Two steel balls and a compression springbetween them are located and staked within the hole: The steel ballsprotrude slightly from the hole and can be pressed back into the holebecause of the compression spring pushing on same: wherein in installingthe handle the front rectangular post is pushed into the rectangularhole of the adaptor: wherin the balls retract and then pressure out intothe concave holes of the rectangular hole: thus the handle can beinserted and pulled out quickly by tugging outward on the handle.
 7. Theappliance capable of having a handle installed as claimed in claim 2,wherein the handle is screwed into the inserted adaptor at either rightside or left side: a spring washer and a plastic washer are installed onthe threaded rod to help lock the handle on and to prevent it comingloose during operation.
 8. The Appliance capable of having a handleinstalled as claimed in claim 1, wherin a recess is formed at the outerperiphery of the section where the adaptor is inserted, and a sealingcap is installed into this recess on the side where the handle is notbeing inserted: wherein the the side with the sealing cap has protectionof the threads and a more pleasing finish.